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This is the best scrub or exfoliator I have tried and would recommend it

I love this stuff. I really could just leave it at that as I think when you try it, you will see for yourself but I will try and describe it without sounding like a clinique advert!

So, it is an exfoliator for the body to be used in the bath or shower basically. Similar to a salt scrub, it has tiny course grains in it which scrub away dead skin. Unlike other scrubs though, it isn't sticky or too harsh as the gel itself is soft and smooth so the product as a whole has a great balance.

When using it, I don't think you particularly need a lot, so it does go a fair way, and I just use it as a bit of a treat on tired skin as a pick me up. Just a small amount is needed to rub across skin. I just use my hands but a glove or mitt could be used. You will feel the little grains on your skin doing their job, so no scrubbing or a lot of pressure is needed. You feel a difference in your skin as soon as it is all rinsed off as skin feels soft, smooth and pampered.

It comes in a squeezy tube with a cap that clicks open and shut at the end, and because the consistency is thick, you do have to squeeze which means it doesn't just pour out like some shower gels giving a lot of wastage. On the other hand, a lot of scrubs come it tubs which you have to scrape out with your hands, getting it up your finger nails, and inevitably get water in the tub making it a sloshy mess by the time half of it has been used. So the fact that this comes in an easy squeeze tube eliminating these disadvantages seems a strike of genius in itself to me.

At £17 for 200ml it does seem expensive, but as a treat I think it is worth it. And on the other hand it is cheaper than some of these posh spa brands, but I think just as good. For extra value check out the gift sets, especially at Christmas as this is sometimes included. I got a set in the January sales which included this and the fake tan products.

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Doesn't make your skin sparkle as name of product claims.

I got this as a Christmas gift as Clinique products are usually out of my price-range so I'll assume this product is expensive and not good value for money.

First impressions on the packaging are good, looks like a standard Clinique product. The exfoliator comes in a tube which you can stand on it's top so you can squeeze the life out of it for the very last smidgen of the stuff. It comes out gooey, an aqua blue in colour with tiny micro-beads which act as the main exfoliation agent. The scent of this product is different from other exfoliators, a kind of minty-fresh smell which I'm guessing is intended to invigorate your skin cells to get the blood flow going. It doesn't leave this scent on your skin which, in my opinion, is a good thing.

I applied this product with Soap & Glory's exfoliation gloves firstly to my dry skin, and then I popped into the shower to rinse. It does not make your skin sparkle like the name of the product claims which was a bit disappointing. I'm not asking to look like Edward Cullen or anything but it would be nice to see the manufacturers at least make an effort in attempting a sparkle-effect for the skin if you're going to use the word "sparkle" in the naming of your product. It is also worth mentioning that you do need quite a lot of this product to cover your legs, torso and arms.

The effect of the product was noted by my partner who commented that my skin felt soft which, for him, is a rare event! So the product does leave your skin feel soft without being overly harsh like some other exfoliators.

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Terrible scrub.

As far as I'm concerned, the vast majority of Clinique products are 99% hype. Apart from their perfumes, I've yet to find a product that hasn't been bettered by either Lancôme or Clarins (and usually at a lower price). Because of this I rarely buy their stuff. And the fact that their day-glo orange ladies are the most terrifying of all the beauty counter staff barely comes into it, honest. I have this stuff because it was given to me as a present alongside the equally terrible moisturiser.

~*~Appearance~*~

Most Clinique packaging is nice, and this is no exception. It comes in a translucent squeezy tube which can be stood on its flip-top lid to get the dregs out. To most manufacturers, this would be a bog standard container, but Clinique have attained a level of arrogant arseyness that's usually the preserve of teenagers and the French, so to them it's their oh-so-special 'unbreakable' packaging.

~*~Look and Smell~*~

It looks - oh, how to put this delicately? - like grainy snot. You know when fiver year olds get a really corking chest infection that causes their mucous to bubble out of their nostrils in a shade that would make the Jolly Green Giant, ahem, green with envy? Picture that, stir a bit of salt in and you've got this stuff down to a T.

The smell isn't nice either. Menthol is one of the ingredients, which is supposed to 'refresh and invigorate' skin, but it just makes it smell like toothpaste with an unpleasant undertow of astringency.

~*~Effectiveness~*~

I applied it with my hands, with a shower scrubby-thing, and with exfoliating gloves. Each time, it smelled horrible and made no discernible difference to my skin. The website promises that it will leave your skin glowing but if you expect to come lepping out of the shower like the Ready Brek kid, you'll be sorely disappointed. I'd've probably put up with how rubbish it is as a scrub if the smell had been really luxurious and it'd made my skin feel pampered, but it smelled medicinal and my skin felt entirely unchanged. If I'd paid money for this I would be demanding a refund from the beauty counter oompa loompas. A Body Shop scrub works out a lot cheaper and is a far, far nicer product. Failing that, mixing a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil with half a tablespoon of salt will be a much more effective exfoliator and probably smell better as well.

~*~Are there ANY good points?~*~

Because I am a tightarse I was determined not to throw it away, but there was LOADS of it to get through and so I had to think outside the box slightly. As a bath cleaner, it actually works pretty well because the level of abrasiveness is just about right. It's not very good on tile grout, though and I couldn't persuade any of my nearest and dearest to try it out as toothpaste, more's the pity. If you like your teeth to taste both minty and salty, though, this may be just the ticket.

Overall, this product is a waste of money. There are better and cheaper alternatives out there.

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A nice body polisher that works, but just too expensive for me.

I received this Sparkle Skin body exfoliating cream in a gift set that I received some time ago when it was Clinique bonus time. For those of you that don't know what this is, Clinique Bonus time is when you receive a gift set containing several miniature products by Clinique for free after buying two or three Clinique products. I cannot remember the exact amount of products you need to purchase as it was some time ago when I took up on this offer, but bonus time is currently on in Boots. It is not available on the website and you can only receive the free gift set when purchasing Clinique products in store.

I got 75ml of this product. Its usual size is 200ml and costs £16.50. So when combined with all the other little products you get free, the gift set is worth quite a lot. At the moment the Clinique website is also offering a 40ml sized bottle of this and their 7-day scrub cream for free when spending over £40 on the website. Another little promotion in case you are interested in this product, but want to try it out first before spending so much money on the full sized bottle!

The bottle doesn't state much on how to use the product or what it does exactly, but the fact that it is an exfoliating cream, I guessed it would be just like any other exfoliating cream I have used in the past. I therefore use a lot of this product at a time when in the bath or shower, more than you would use if you were just using a shower gel, and this is because you really have to scrub this onto your skin for it to actually work and soften your skin. The 'buffing beads' that you feel in the cream can make it feel like you are rubbing sandpaper on your skin, which doesn't exactly 'gently' exfoliate your skin like it says it does on the Clinique website. However, it is bearable and can sometimes feel nice when rubbed onto your back.

One thing that hits you straight away about this product is the smell. As soon as I squeezed some out of the tube it reminded me of Vicks vapour rub. It is very strong but the smell soon goes away and it doesn't leave your skin smelling like that either, which for me is a good thing as I can't stand the smell of Vicks vapour rub, but for those of you that do, sorry, but the smell doesn't stay on you for very long!

I love the feel of my skin after using this sparkle skin exfoliator. It really does feel soft and smooth, and so to ensure it remains soft I apply some body butter or moisturiser after.

This product comes in handy (and this applies to all exfoliators and not just this one) when I have applied fake tan and I want to scrub it off or if I messed it up and ended up with a few streaks. Wear off fake tan can be a pain to remove as it is not meant to be washed off, but If you scrub this onto your wet skin for long enough, it does make it come off. Whereas I have found that an ordinary shower gel can never do this.

I do like this product but it is very expensive and so I won't be buying a new bottle once I have ran out. I have used other exfoliators in the past and they have done just as good a job as this one, but have cost around half the price. The 'sparkle skin' refers to the healthy glow that it is meant to leave your skin looking like. I don't believe it leaves my skin glowing, but just feeling very soft and smooth, which is great, but I don't see why it is called sparkle skin!

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A lovely body polisher but don't expect to look like the vampires from twilight

Sparkle skin body exfoliator is a product that I like to use sparingly as a treat because it is too expensive to justify buying on a regular basis. It costs £17 which does get you a fairly large tube of sparkle skin which does last a long time. The exfoliator is a blue gel that contains lots of gritty bits to polish the skin and leaving it perfectly soft and smooth.

The sparkle skin has a lovely minty smell to it which must be because of the menthol it contains. To use it all you have to do it rub some in to your skin in circular motions to buff the skin up and remove dead skin. When you put some of the sparkle skin on it immediately cools the skin down and the menthol leaves it tingling.

What I like about this exfoliator is that it just feels so luxurious to use and indulgent. It feels like a really premium product which at its price I suppose it is. The gritty exfoliating bits don't just melt in contact with skin and water so it means that there is plenty of time to rub it all over getting rid of all the dead skin.

When I come out of the bath or shower after using this my skin is left feeling so silky smooth and moisturised without any dry patches. My skin feels cool to the air and moisturiser just absorbs straight in to my skin. One thing about it that I wasn't expecting is that it also leaves my skin feeling really clean whereas with other exfoliators I use they don't do this.

The only thing about it that I can possibly say in the negative is that the name is a little misleading as it doesn't actually leave your skin sparkling which for me is good but some people may think that with the name it will have loads of glitter in it.

If this was around the £10 mark then I would buy it all the time because it is so good but I just can't justify spending so much on a body polisher so instead I will just have to enjoy it as an occasional treat or when someone buys me it for Christmas or my birthday.

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a good scrub from Clinique

**PLEASE NOTE THIS REVIEW DISCUSSES THE CREAM VERSION OF SPARKLE SKIN THOUGH DOOYOO HAVE TOLD ME TO ADD IT HERE..THIS ALSO DISCUSSES THE 75ML VERSION TO AVOID COMPLAINTS***

Clinique is a premium beauty company offering makeup, skincare, bodycare and perfume products.

*~Sparkle Skin~*

Before I start, I will advise that there are 2 different Sparkle Skin products offered by Clinique. There is the Sparkle Skin Exfoliator which is a gel scrub and then there is the Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliating Cream which I will discuss in this review. It is allergy tested and 100% fragrance free.

This Body Exfoliating Cream is intended for in shower use. It claims to polish up rough areas of the skin and can be used all over except around the face or neck area. As well as ridding the skin of rough patches, it refreshes the skin and prepares it for any self tanning products you wish to use. To use, apply to wet skin and massage all over whilst concentrating on rougher areas such as the knees, heels and elbows. Rinse.

*~Packaging~*

The full size Sparkle Skin is presented in a sturdy glass pot with screw on lid. For the purpose of this review, I will be discussing the 75ml tube version. The tube is a light blue colour and is completed with flip top cap. Once opened, the Sparkle Skin should be used up with 24months.

*~Price~*

Sparkle Skin is available from Clinique counters in department stores such as Debenhams and House of Fraser. 250ml is priced around £20.00. It is worth waiting for bonus time offers where you can take advantage of a free gift set when you purchased 2 Clinique products.

*~My Thoughts~*

I have been using Clinique products for a while now and have had mixed experiences with them. Whilst I often use scrubs from Soap and Glory and FCUK, I had never considered using this Clinique one until a few months ago. Many tubes of this scrub have passed through my home as I used to sell Clinique on ebay. The smaller tubes are a fantastic way of trying out expensive products and can be picked up super cheap on ebay.

I personally prefer the tube version of this scrub. I find with tubs, the product contained within is often exposed to air where as a tube conceals the product and keeps it fresh. A tube is also ideal for travelling around with. This scrub from what I can tell, is a gentler, cream version of the gel scrub and is therefore able to be used whenever you feel the need to use it without ill effects on sensitive skin like my own.

*~Scrubbing Up~*

I have been using this 3 times alongside my regular shower washes. During this time, I haven't used any other scrubs. Perhaps I am using the term "scrub" a bit too freely. This is a body exfoliator but to me, there isn't much difference so I will continue with scrub! I have dry and sensitive skin around my body and like most woman, my knees and elbows seem to attract dryness. I don't self tan often but with the weather being nicer recently and me wanting to show a little leg, I have applied a gradually tanner. Mainly I like a scrub to smooth out my skin and leave it flake free.

So how did this scrub perform? The tube provides easy dispensing with wet hands. The scrub is quite thick and has a pale blue colour about it. The exfoliating particles come in the form of small pieces of white sugar which embed into the cream and are barely visible to the naked eye. Despite claiming to be fragrance free, the scrub offers a sweet menthol aroma, not dissimilar to toothpaste, which intensifies as the scrub is rubbed onto wet skin. It is quite a refreshing, invigorating aroma but seems a little out of place in such a product. I often find Clinique products to smell rather unnatural so I suppose the minty scent is better than the other products!

*~Mint Mayhem~*

Once my skin is wet, I step away from the shower and squeeze a small amount of this scrub onto my fingertips. You don't need much for all over scrubbing..only a small blob. The creaminess of the scrub makes this quite different from other scrubs I have used. The cream spreads incredibly well coating my arms and legs in a cooling creamy layer. Each blob of cream is packed full of little sugar pieces which don't feel too harsh and take a while to work in to the skin.

The exfoliating aspect of this scrub comes alive as I massage the scrub into my skin. It feels rather gentle and calming and this allows doubt to surface about whether or not the scrub is actually working. I feel the thickness of the cream creates a soothing coating to the sugar and therefore the scrubbiness isn't as obvious. I can feel a light, exfoliating feel from the sugar particles but it doesn't irritate my skin or leave it red in any way. I need to massage the sugar particles onto my skin for around a minute before they dissolve and sink into my skin.

The creamy aspect of the scrub allows a pleasing shower experience, however I prefer to use an alternative shower gel over the top to ensure I am fully cleansed. After the sugar has dissolved, there is still some cream present on my skin. A quick rinse under the shower washes off the last of it and doesn't leave any residue on my skin.

*~I'm Ready For My Tan..~*

Whilst my skin is a little dry feeling post shower, this feeling soon subsides without the need for lots of moisturiser to be applied. Having concentrated on my elbows and knees whilst skimming the rest of my skin, I found the results to be pleasing from the first use. The dry areas were reduced and continued to reduce with regular use. The rest of my skin felt rejuvenated and fresh with a smooth, even surface an no redness.

Applying a gradual tanner isn't an easy task for me as I often mess up even the easiest of tanning products! The scrub had exfoliated my skin to an acceptable level and provided a smooth, clear based to apply my tanning lotion onto. The cream went on evenly and the dry patches were kept at a minimum. Within a few days and regular application of tanning cream, I had an even, streak/patch free tint of tan on my legs which looked pretty good!

*~Conclusion~*

Admitedly when I first received a tube of this Sparkle Skin, I assumed it was going to be some sort of sparkly lotion for nights out so the name is a bit misleading as it doesn't make your skin sparkle! As a scrub, its a gentle but effective option that does do my skin wonders. Is it worth the £20.00 outlay? No not really as I feel a Soap and Glory scrub can perform just as well, smells nice and is a lot cheaper in comparrison.

I will recommend this though and say to check out ebay for the Gift With Purchase sizes. My 75ml tube has lasted around 3months using it 3 times on average per week so it lasts really well.

Thanks for reading :)

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Will be great for some people, but not me :(

As part of a recent 'Bonus Time' offer from Clinique (where they give a selection of sample-sized goodies with every two standard purchases) I received a small tube of Sparkle Skin exfoliating cream. I am normally faithful to a wonderful FCUK exfoliator, which is a fraction of the price, so I was keen to see how the Clinique one compared.

Mine was a sample size and contained 40ml of product. Looking on-line, I see that a standard size bottle contains 200 ml and retails at around £16.50. I used my sample quite lavishly (as you do with freebies - I might have been more conservative if I'd paid for it!) and I got three uses out of it. By that reckoning, £16.50's worth of product would have given me fifteen full body exfoliations. Or, to put it another way, it would be £1.10 a pop. Ouch.

Firstly, outer appearance. As mine was a sample, I haven't studied the real one 'in the flesh', but looking on-line it seems to be a larger version of mine; a functional, blue, flip-top tube which is waterproof and ideal for use in the shower. Not particularly attractive (which I usually think Clinique do so well), but practical.

The instructions for use were exactly what you would expect from an exfoliator - wet the skin in the shower, rub the product all over the body (avoiding the eye area), paying particular attention to dry areas such as heels, knees and elbows, then rinse off. Clinique claim that this will slough off any dry or flaky skin, leaving the surface smooth, clean, and with a healthy glow.

So, once wet, I opened the tube and was immediately surprised by the smell. It was very minty and mentholly, like a mild Vics Vapour Rub! Not unpleasant, and actually rather invigorating - ideal to wake you up in the morning. I was a bit worried that the smell would linger as it would have clashed with my perfume, but once the product was rinsed off the smell disappeared. The product itself is quite an attractive blue colour, and the texture was perfect for shower use - it was soft enough to squeeze easily from the tube and massage in, but thick enough not to run straight off.

The exfoliating beads (that's what they call the grit!) were very fine, so it felt to be quite a gentle exfoliation, even when I rubbed my heels and knees quite hard. Whilst using the product, I did wonder if it was too fine to be effective. Once I had finished, it rinsed off very easily leaving no unpleasant residue or stickiness. Overall, it was easy and pleasant to use.

Now the important bit - did it work!? Well, yes, on the whole it did. My arms felt much smoother, even around the elbows, as did my back and stomach. However, I do have very dry, almost scaly lower legs (how attractive that sounds!), and it just wasn't robust enough to fully exfoliate these. I could still see dry skin, which I don't usually get after using my favourite exfoliator. Within a couple of hours, whilst my 'normal skin' areas still felt lovely, my legs looked and felt like they needed doing again. So, somewhat disappointing for me. I would say that this is a good product, but it will not suit everyone and is not one of the best I've used.

I think this product would be ideal for people who do light, frequent exfoliations, say every couple of days. But then again, for most people the product is just too expensive to use that often. Personally, I only tend to exfoliate maybe once a week, and Sparkle Skin really isn't heavy-duty enough to cope with my legs. So, I would class this as an excellent product for people who don't have particularly dry skin, or who have deep pockets! But personally whilst I did enjoy trying it, I won't be buying it.

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I am incapable of leaving anything that has 'sparkle' in the title on the shelf of a shop. And even though Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliator doesn't actually contain any glitter, I had to have it anyway.

The sparkle in the title is referring to the healthy radiance that this product promises to leave your skin with once it has removed all dull, dead skin cells from your body. The exfoliator claims that it will leave your skin polished and glowing with health.

The product is actually an aqua coloured gel that is filled with exfoliating beads. These beads are large enough to do the job but not so hard that they hurt the skin. This is one of the more gentle yet effective exfoliators that I've used.

It contains Botanical ingredients to invigorate the skin, or in plain English, plant extracts which nourish and awaken the skin. It also contains Menthol which gives the product a minty smell and provides a cooling sensation when applied to the skin.

How do you use the product? The product is to be used in the same way as any other exfoliator. I get my skin wet in the shower and then turn off the water. I squirt some of the lotion into my hands and massage it into my skin using a circular motion.

I pay particular attention to dry spots like my knees and elbows and also to my thighs as the massaging action seems to reduce the appearance of horrible cellulite. After a few minutes, I turn the shower back on and rinse away the product. I then follow up this routine with a good body moisturiser.

Clinique say that this is gentle enough to be used daily but I use it on occasions where I need to make a particular effort or before applying fake tan. This is because of the price and also because I have always been told that it's not good for your skin to exfoliate every day.

This product is costs around £16 for 250ml and it can be bought from large department stores such as Boots as well as from many online websites. The product comes in a tube which is able to stand on its lid which means it looks tidy in my bathroom and it's convenient when you are coming to the end of the product. To access the product it has a flip top lid.

The Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliator really is a pleasure to use. When applied to the skin, it almost tingles and the gel leaves you feeling incredibly fresh and clean. The aroma and sensation are very stimulating and this product will definitely get you wide awake in the morning. When it's on your skin, the gel foams a little bit but you shouldn't expect the sort of bubbles that you get with some shower gels.

The effects of the gel are immediate and it can be felt from the very first use. My skin feel smooth and silky and there are no flakes of dry skin left on me which I find quite incredible considering how gentle this product is on the skin. It means that fake tan goes on smoothly and my skin glows with health as the dull layer of skin has gone.

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Another classic product from clinique

I brought this Clinique product about a year ago now, and I still have some left! I find it amazing to use, love the smell and the feel of the scrub - it really feels like a deep cleanse.

The product --> The Sparkle skin I have is in a round tub, and is 250ml. Luckily I managed to get this product for slightly cheaper than what it retails at, which was a right bargain. The scrub is blue, with dark blue beads in and smells like menthol! The tub is clear, and it has a silver top. The logo is written on the tub and a slight description of the product is on the outside.

How to use -->I use this scrub by putting it on my dry skin first, to rub the dead skin cells off. I then wash it off, and it leaves my skin feeling very smooth and refreshed. However, sometimes I wait until am in the shower, and use it when my skin is wet. Either way, I get a good result. I always find that it is easier to shave my legs after using this product, as it loosen up the hairs, and allows for better grip of them by removing the skin cells.

I have been very good using this product, and use it once a week. I would use it more but two reasons stop me! One is the cost, I couldn't afford to buy new ones very often as it it expensive. Two is that it is a product that is like a treat, something I like to use before a big night out for example.

The cost--> This products retails about £19, but they sometimes put offers on mix and match, or get more advantage card points if you spend a certain amount in boots.

I think personally that Clinique is brilliant anyway, so definitely recommend this product, if you are looking for a refreshing exfoliation that's slightly different from the rest, and are after great results!

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Clinique´s Body Scrub

I have always found Clinique to be a very trustworthy brand, one that is honest and professional, even though sometimes a little expensive. I have tried many of their products to include creams, scrubs, and I absolutely love their Clinique Happy perfume, so when I found a bottle of this in our bathroom I had to try it. My mum loves Clinique too, which is good for me as she buys and I get to use! Not a bad set up!

This refreshing aqua colour body exfoliator comes in a upside down tube (my favourite kind of tube for these kind of things) of 200ml / 6.7 fl. oz. This scrub can be used basically for all over your body to give you smooth and ´sparkling` skin. The actual scrub as mention above is in a aqua colour and contains many little microbeads, which are perfect in helping with body exfoliation. What I love about this is that you can actually feel it working as you work it into your skin in a circular motion. The slightly minty smell of this scrub makes you feel really fresh once using it and after using this.

I like using this in the shower, although to use as a daily exfoliator I would imagine would be rather expensive! I tend to use it about twice a week all all my body, arms and legs - the parts that need exfoliation the most. This stuff rinses off pretty easily and really does leave your skin feeling as fresh as a daisy. I really recommend it as a once in a while exfoliator simply because of the price. If you do have some money to spare then this stuff is suitable for use daily too.

Overall I really found this scrub a treat, but I felt abit guilty using it quite alot as it wasnt even mine. This is a scrub that you can use and feel work straight away, leaves your skin smooth and fresh but does cost abit. It costs between £15.00 - £20.00 for a 200ml tube that will last a long time if you use it in moderation.

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A good exfoliating product but possibly not worth the money

Clinique Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliator is one of those products that I like to have but don't like to spend my own money on! I've treated myself to it a couple of times using Boots Advantage Card points and was pleased to receive another tube as a present this Christmas. Exfoliating always make me feel better about myself, there is something intrinsically satisfying about scrubbing off all the dry flaky skin cells, especially in the current cold climate and this is a product that I have always enjoyed using. Initially, I was lured by the name of the product - I like a bit of sparkle in my life and who wouldn't be tempted by the promise of sparkly skin - but now I just use it because I like the results and the feeling I get from using it.

The product comes in a clear soft plastic tube with a white flip-top lid at the base. It has the silver Clinique branding and the name of the product in English and French, but apart from that it is very simple packaging. The small print on the back says it is allergy tested and fragrance-free. Continuing with the small print, the product promises that it exhilarates, re-texturizes and buffs skin to a new-found smoothness. But, does it work?

Firstly, it is simple to use. You just need to dampen your skin in the shower, squeeze a small amount into the palm of your hand and massage it into your skin using a circular motion. The texture of the product is really good - the exfoliating beads have a really nice consistency and don't feel too abrasive on your skin. The colour of the scrub is a pale, jade green colour and, as previously mentioned, it is fragrance-free. I always imagine that it would smell a bit minty though, possibly because it is green like the Soap and Glory 'Scrub Your Nose in It' and feel a bit disappointed by the lack of smell. On the positive side, the fact that it is fragrance free means that you can use it alongside other products without the scents getting all mixed up!

When rubbing it into my skin, I always feel like I am getting a really good clean. There is no feeling of scratchiness which can be an issue with more abrasive scrubs and my skin always ends up with a very pleasant tingle after using it. The gentle nature of this scrub means that I can use it on my baby bump as well, whereas I'd feel a bit reluctant to use anything more abrasive on the sensitive skin in that area.

The only reservation I have with the scrub is that it doesn't work so well on areas with really dry skin, even when followed with an intensive moisturiser. If you've got generally good skin then I think it's a great product for making it feel soft and silky smooth, but if you've got issues with very dry skin patches, you might need to find something that is a bit more effective on problem areas - I find that Soap and Glory's Flake Away works well for me!

The 200ml tube costs £16.00 and lasts me about 4 months, using it a couple of times a week. However, I don't use that much at a time and often just exfoliate certain areas. If you used it on your whole body every time, I don't think it would last as long as that.

Overall, I would recommend this product but I think there are other products out there which do just as a good a job for a lower price. I like the sensation I get from using it, especially that little tingle after a good scrub and I really like the texture of the exfoliating beads. It doesn't make my skin sparkle (a bit of false advertising with the product name there perhaps?) but it does leave it feeling soft and smooth, which is all I'm really looking for. For me, this will remain one of those products that I really appreciate receiving as a gift but I don't see it as an essential thing to have on my bathroom shelf.

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I don't think I'd go out and pay full price for it but I think it seems to be a superior product on

This is a review of Clinique's Sparkle Skin body exfoliating cream.

I think this must have come as part of a gift with purchase set as it has been in my bathroom a while and is a smallish 75ml tube. You buy it in a much bigger size which makes sense if you want to exfoliate your whole body a few times.

The packaging is a light turqoise tube in the typical clinique simple but effective design. A screw cap opens the product which can be fiddly if you're trying to replace it mid-application.

The cream is also turquoise in colour and the exfoliating grains are quite fine so it's not too scratchy on the skin.

I tend to do my exfoliating in the bath, one leg at a time and then my arms etc which may not be the most effective way of doing things but it works for me. I hate being in the shower when the water's not on and if you try and do this in our tiny cubicle with the water on it washes off the product!

It doesn't really smell of much to me and a little bit of this product goes a fair way. I find exfoliating rather boring so don't do it very often but I do agree my skin feels better after a good scrub with this! You do find that some of the cream from the product stays on your skin (but not the grains) so that's nice as it makes it feel moisturised for a while after you've got out of the shower / bath.

I don't think I'd go out and pay full price for it but I think it seems to be a superior product on the market compared to others I have tried in the past.

The last word: I have to say, the name of this product 'sparkle skin' is a bit misleading. I don't know what you have to do to get skin to sparkle - and is that what I want anyway?

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Use before a good body butter to get smooth lump free skin.

I've been a fan of Clinique products for 20 years now, since I discovered dramatically different moisturiser in my teens and have used many products in the range. I decided to give 'Sparkle Skin' a try after using Clinique deep comfort body butter and loving it. I thought Sparkle Skin would be a useful addition to my body care routine. I'm not getting any younger so I like to take care of what I've got (as the groaning bathroom shelves well testify to).

I've noticed that as I get older the skin on my knees and elbows is getting more leathery and sometimes I'm not confident wearing short sleeved tops, so my main hope for this body exfoliating cream was a softening of my elbows. The body butter does a good job, but I needed something to take off the roughness before moisturising as I find that a good exfoliation makes a body butter or lotion more effective. It also means that I can use less body butter for the same moisturising effect. All good when I want my body butter to soak in quickly so that I can get dressed and move on with my day.

This Sparkle Skin body exfoliating cream comes in an aquamarine coloured plastic tube making it easy to squeeze out every last drop. The MoneySaving Debt Free Wannabe in me has also seen me cut through the tube to scrape out the last crumbs of exfoliator so that there's no wastage at all!

The cream itself comes out of the tube in a thick aquamarine worm, mirroring the colour of the tube. It smells distinctively of menthol, something that I initially found offputting as it reminded me of foot cream. However, once applied to the skin, rubbed in and then showered off I do not smell like a tube of toothpaste. Good job really because I don't want the exfoliator to influence my perfume.

The exfoliator itself is full of tiny particles which buff the skin as you massage in circular motions. The particles are not gritty like some exfoliators so do not scratch at the skin. They leave my thighs feeling glossy and slightly tighter than they were before exfoliation and they leave my elbows and knees feeling much smoother. After an application of body butter to seal the effect I'm actually drawn to stroke my elbows, they feel that smooth!

I use this exfoliator once a week and sometimes more if I'm going on holiday. It costs around £15 for 200ml but I generally buy it during Clinique Bonus Time so that I get a few extras to burden my already overladen bathroom shelves a little more. One tube last me a couple of months but I only use it on my legs and arms, basically all the bits that are on show and get the most weather battered, and less frequently during the winter months when I hibernate in trousers and jumpers.

I recommend this for women (and men) in their late 20's onwards. It's quite a thick exfoliator and therefore can cope with older more weather worn skin. A little goes a long way so although it is pricey, it does last a long time. Washing the cream off can be quite time consuming and I often find particles lingering on the back of my upper arms and have to spend a little extra time ensuring they are all gone, but I think this is a sign that the exfoliator is good quality and does not simply wash away with the slightest bit of water before I've had chance to buff it around a bit.

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Top class exfoliant if you want to shell out a little extra.

This came in a set which I was bought for christmas. I would say that I am not somebody who would spend alot of money on lotions and potions. However, I would definitley spend my own pennies on this exfoliator, Debenhams sell it for £15 for 200ml ( yes it is on the pricey side) however online I have seen it for less, around a tenner. Unlike other exfoliant products I have used which I have found to be too runny and lacking in exfoliant beads. Clinque's Sparkle skin seems to have got the balance just right. The exfoliant is a fairly thick gel paste which has a pleasant smell not too overpowering and is aqua green in colour with darker green beads. When applying I have found that a little goes along way and after using, it leaves a lovely fresh tingling effect on the skin. I have used it all over including a little on my face and have found that it really cleanses and cleans my pores and as a result I believe that it has improved my skin, I now barely ever get blemishes or spots. Also I find that my skin is really soft and smooth in my experince with other exfoliants I have sometimes found a waxy residue left on my skin, which I really dislike. I don't suffer from dry skin at all other than a little in winter and again I have really seen a difference after using this exfoliant. My sister does have dry skin and very sensitive skin but has been using clinique products for a while now and has never had any concerns.

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Not bad but could do better

I got this exfoliator from a Bonus pack so I didn't actually pay for it. I normally wait until the bonus time to get the little box of goodies.

Its a green tube with a twist off lid and it contains a green gel. It has a cool menthol smell to it and its quite thick so it doesn't run off.

You use it on wet skin and rub it in circles for about a minute then rinse off in the shower or bath. The exfoliating particles aren't that scratchy like a salt scrub would be but they do the job ok. Definately not as good as salt though. After a bit of scrubbing they seem to dissolve slightly so you need to use more scrub again. There's not many particles in it and it feels a bit like an exfoliating shower gel once its got a bit wet, however it does feel nice when you're rubbing it in and my skin definately feels softer.

Overall I think its nice for a freebie but I probably wouldn't buy it for myself. I've definately used better ones that are cheaper.